noun
column
KO-luhm
noun
1
An upright supporting structure, often cylindrical, that holds up part of a building.
"Marble columns lined the entrance to the courthouse."
"The old barn's roof rests on four wooden columns."
2
A vertical section of a table, spreadsheet, or page of text.
"Click the header to sort the column by date."
"The newspaper page was split into three columns of text."
3
A regular feature or opinion piece written by a particular writer in a newspaper or magazine.
"She writes a weekly column on personal finance."
4
A long line of people, vehicles, or troops moving one behind another.
"A column of tanks rolled slowly through the town."
How to Use Column
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA column is something tall and upright — a physical pillar, a vertical strip of text or data, or (figuratively) a line of things moving in single file.
Common pairings
spinal column
gossip column
column of smoke
newspaper column
Word Forms
columns plural
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Marble _____ lined the entrance to the courthouse.
Etymology
From Latin columna, "pillar, post," related to Latin collis ("hill") and ultimately to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "high, raised up."